Destroyed Perfection
by bonov
Summary: Every relationship has its problems. Edward won't tell her everything, but she trusts him. Bella left him, but he loves her. But sometimes love isn't enough. Sometimes trust can be used as weapon. And sometimes it's better to walk away. AH. NO Cheaterward.
1. Mistakes are made

Sweat was dripping down my back as I pushed, pressed, thrust.

_Harder._

I closed my eyes as I continued to push into her, into a body that I didn't want, into a woman I didn't know.

"_Yes_. Right there! More! Harder!" The woman panted in that sickly voice of hers. I tried to block it out; I tried to imagine a different voice, a softer voice, a _warmer_ voice. _Bella's voice._

I thrust deeper and deeper, groaning loudly in exertion, simultaneously drowning out the woman's voice. The bed squeaked beneath us, the headboard hitting the wall in time with my movements. The woman tensed around me for the second time, shaking in pleasure and releasing a loud moan. I continued to push, searching for my release. Closer. _Closer._

The girl beneath me suddenly latched her lips to my throat, sucking and tasting. But it wasn't the same, her lips weren't as soft, her tongue not as warm, she wasn't _Bella._

I blocked out the sudden sensations and grabbed the girl's hair, imagining it to be softer, straighter, instead of the ringlets that were in my hands. I imagined her hair to be dark brown instead of red.

I imagined the body below me to be gentle instead of firm and cold.

I imagined the girl's eyes to be deep and brown instead of emotionless blue.

I imagined her whispering her love for me into my ear as she gently bit down on my neck.

I imagined her sweet voice, her moans, her gasps of pleasure.

I imagined her tensing around me as she came while she forcefully pulled my hair and screamed out my name.

I imagined her here instead of thousands of miles away.

I imagined Bella.

And that was all it took for me to cum into the condom and whisper her name, so quietly that the woman beneath me wouldn't hear.

Before opening my eyes, I imagined that none of this had happened.

A/N: First of all, thank you for taking the time to read this. This would be my second attempt at writing a fic, my first attempted kind of failed. Personally, I don't like reading a lot of angst, so I'm trying to make this as angst-free as possible. Promise.

Please hit me up with a review! I love feedback.

Thanks chicas!


	2. Promises Saved

The monotonous sound of typing around me was slowly beginning to lull me to sleep. Last night had been – once again – void of slumber, and I found myself unable to focus at work. I knew I needed to concentrate if I had any hope of proving to Mr James that I was capable of filling the role of first assistant, but I still found my eyelids drooping and my breaths slowing. My shoulders began to slump and all the sound around me faded into a dull fuzzing. My eyes became heavier and heavier…

_Beep Beep_

"Isabella!" Mr James' voice boomed.

I jumped and almost fell out of my chair, my heart beating rapidly and my hands shaking. The intercom light was flashing and Mr James' voice sounded out of the speaker once more, "Isabella!"

I quickly pressed my finger to the button next to the flashing light. "Yes, sir?" I said tentatively.

"Isabella, I need you in my office right now."

"Yes, sir." I said before the light dimmed, and quickly grabbed a notepad and pen, shuffling nervously to Mr James' office that was across the hall from my desk.

_He probably saw you dozing off, _I thought. _No way you're getting the promotion now._

I took a deep breath as I reached out to turn the handle. His office was dark, all the curtains shut and all the lights off save for the single lamp on his desk. The desk alone was extravagant and unnecessary; so large it took up almost a third of the room, so intricately designed and engraved that it just screamed _expensive._

Mr James sat behind his desk in a regular office chair that so obviously contrasted with the masterpiece in front of him. He didn't look angry or annoyed – at least, not _overly_ angry or annoyed. He seemed to always have a permanent scowl on his face, and his blue eyes were always intense and calculating. His blonde hair was short and neat on his head. Everything about him was measured. To anyone else he would be attractive were it not for his forceful demeanour.

"Have a seat, Isabella," he said calmly.

I slowly sat down on the edge of a leather chair on the other side of his desk.

Mr James took a deep breath, "As you know, Angela is leaving us in a week due to her pregnancy." He looked at me meaningfully.

I nodded quickly, indicating that I understood.

"I need you to fill her position as first assistant."

There was no elaboration as to why he choice me. He didn't even offer me a choice in the matter. He just told me what was expected of me and the case was closed.

I nodded again. Relief and excitement were pulsing through me, but I kept my face neutral and professional. I'd worked hard these past four years at Roaming Industries, and I knew I'd be rewarded for my effort eventually. But celebrations would come later.

"Thank you, sir." I said gratefully, "Will that be all?"

He stood up and gathered a pile of papers from his desk and held them out to me. I stood quickly and took them from him.

"I need a new second assistant. Go through these résumés and cut them down to the top five. We'll hold interviews tomorrow. That's all, Isabella." He sat down again and began rummaging through the papers on his desk.

"Yes, sir." I said and turned to leave. He didn't offer a _'Thank you' _or _'Congratulations'_ just more work. I didn't mind so much, but some recognition would be nice.

I left Mr James' office and passed Angela's desk on the way out. She was huge, now. She looked exhausted and tired, but she had this glow about her. She was always smiling, occasionally looking down at her belly, holding it gently with a joyous expression on her face. She looked up from her work as I passed her, grinning and indicating that I sit with her.

I sat on the edge of her desk, finally allowing my excitement to show. "He gave you the job!" Angela exclaimed. I laughed as she danced in her seat.

"Hey!" I chuckled, "Dance party later. I've got work to do." I held up the résumés and she grimaced.

"That man has a one track mind," she sighed.

"Yeah," I agreed, "And not the good kind." Angela giggled and nodded.

"Anyway," I stood, "I've got to get back to work. I really hope I don't fall asleep trying to read through all these." I flicked through pages, noting that there were at least 20 applications here. I sighed.

Angela looked at me with concern, "You don't look so good, Bella. You look like you haven't slept in days."

"That's probably because I haven't." I rubbed my eyes tiredly and stifled a yawn. "Oh well," I shrugged, "What are you doing worrying about me? You've got a person growing inside you! Actually, I'm not completely sure that it's a person. It could be an alien for all we know. Oh!" I bent down so I was staring at Angela's belly, pretending to be excited, "What if it's a Time Lord? You could be growing a baby David Tennant inside you right now!"

Angela laughed and shoved me with a surprising amount of strength. I fell on my ass and glared up and Angela playfully. "You're such a dork, Bella. Go take your Doctor Who nerdiness to someone who'll appreciate it."

I shot to my feet and pointed a finger at her, "Just you wait! I'm getting that child a sonic screwdriver once it's old enough!" I winked and Angela just rolled her eyes at me, pointing me to my desk.

I reluctantly walked back to my desk, reading through the applications as I did so. It was already noon and I needed to have the applicants chosen and contacted before the end of the day. Not to mention that I had a shitload of other work that I had to get through.

_It'll be worth it, Bella_. I knew it would be, but it didn't mean I had to enjoy it.

I scanned through the first résumé. She was a childcare worker that had _"immeasurable experiences in my six years at McDonald's."_ Yeah, she wasn't going to be in the top five. I quickly put her application on the opposite side of my desk, mentally dubbing it as the _Hell NO _pile.

The next application wasn't much better. Neither was the next one. What kind of people applied for these jobs? Did they think that assistants did nothing more than run around and make coffee? I sighed in annoyance and rubbed my eyes. It was going to be a long day.

I was nearing the end of the pile and it was only two o'clock. I was proud of my progress, and so far I'd found some fairly decent applicants.

The next application made my breath stop short. My palms started to sweat and knees began to shake. I mentally slapped myself for having such a reaction. It was eight years ago! Why was did this still affect me?

_It's just a name!_

But it wasn't just a name. It was _his _name. Except it wasn't.

_Edward Masen, born 20th June 1988_

Masen? So it wasn't him. But the birthday was the same. I read on eagerly.

_Studied Commercial and Business Law at University of Chicago_

I slumped back into my seat. It wasn't _my_ Edward. I knew for a fact that Edward went to Berkeley after receiving that scholarship. I reluctantly continued reading and noted that this Edward was perfect for the job. Hell, he was probably more qualified than _I _was. I put him in the _Yes_ pile, though I suspected that there wouldn't be much competition between him and the other applicants. I read through the remaining applications quickly – most of which were late entries that were desperate for any job. Quickly selecting the top five applicants, with Edward's application on top, I sent an email to them all, congratulating them and organising for an interview tomorrow afternoon.

Exhausted, I pushed the applications to the side and tried to return to my own work when my computer pinged, notifying me of a new email.

_From: __EMasen24 _

_To: ISwan _

_Subject: RE: Thank you for your application_

_Dear Miss Swan,_

_Thank you very much for the opportunity and I look forward to meeting with you tomorrow afternoon at 1:30pm_

_Kind Regards, _

_Edward Masen_

I shut off my computer after that.

* * *

_2:14am_

Sleep wouldn't come. I had no idea what I'd done to piss it off, but it wouldn't even come near me. I was physically exhausted; but mentally, my brain wouldn't shut up. The memories wouldn't leave me alone. Every time I close my eyes I saw his piercing green ones staring back at me. I felt his arms around me, holding me so close. I could hear his laugh as it consumed him completely, shaking him with its force. I could _sense_ his lips on my cheek, my neck, my lips. But the strongest memory was on the last day, the way he begged and pleaded, the tears in his eyes as I…

_STOP! _

That was eight years ago! How could a name do _this_ to me after _eight years?_ I picked up my pillow and threw it over my face, screaming into the cloth and feathers and allowing my breaths to slow down. I needed to sleep. And I needed to forget _him._

I chucked the pillow away and stalked to the bathroom. I hastily opened the cabinet and searched for the pills. Stuffed right at the back were the anxiety pills that I hadn't touched in years. I'd hated them when I first started taking them – they made me feel numb instead of calm, and they usually knocked me out. But desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say. I took out two and swallowed them dry before going back to bed.

I was out within minutes.

* * *

"Send in Mr Masen, Jane. Thanks," I said to the receptionist, who scowled at me before stalking out of the conference room.

Mr James was not happy. The last four applicants had been…disappointing to say the least. While on paper they had sounded decent, it was obvious that they weren't the most capable individuals.

Mr James sighed, "These were the best five, you say?" He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes.

"Yes, sir. But this final application looked promising."

He grunted in reply and I sat nervously, fidgeting and rearranging the papers in front of me.

Jane opened the conference room doors saying, "Good luck, Mr Masen," smirking seductively. Huh. I'd never seen Jane smile before in my life. This was odd.

A low, crisp voice replied a polite "Thank you," and it was then that I knew exactly who would walk into the room. Because I recognised that voice. That voice haunted my nightmares and fulfilled my dreams. That voice brought with it an onslaught of memories that I'd been trying to repress for years. _That voice_ made my knees shake and my heart beat a million times faster.

He walked through the conference doors confidentially. And I finally saw his face.

He looked different, but exactly the same as he had eight years ago. His unique, copper hair continued to defy gravity, standing up in every direction and composing itself into a perfectly organised mess. He was more built than he used to be; his shoulders were broader, and even through his suit jacket I tell his arms were more defined. His time in California had given him a lightly golden glow. But his eyes, those hadn't changed. They were still just as green, just as piercing as they had always been.

His face was almost as shocked as my own. His eyes widened and his breathing increased subtly. I saw him try to inconspicuously wipe his palms on his dress pants, which of course directed my attention to his legs that had obviously also grown during the years…

Mr James cleared his throat and shocked me out of my reverie. My eyes snapped back to Edward's face and I remembered where we were.

Because standing in front of me wasn't Edward Masen.

Standing before me was my ex-boyfriend, my first and only love.

_Edward Cullen._

* * *

A/N: Hi. Hello. This fic has completely changed directions since I first started it, so I'm sorry to all those that read the Prologue and were patiently waiting for something to happen. Updates should be much faster now that I'm actually writing again.  
Please review and tell me how terrible or relatively boring this is.

Thanks, Chicas!


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